Spirituality Column #724

September 29, 2020

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

Everyone Who Believes, Part 4

By Bob Walters

“I am obligated both to the Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and foolish.  That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.  I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes …” – Paul, Romans 1:14-16

We’ll go long and finish this series today by discussing why everyone who believes should neither be ashamed of nor embarrassed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Quick recap – I don’t think shame of our personal past is productive for the mindset of anyone with hope in their future thanks to belief in Jesus.  Focus forward. However – “not being ashamed” – i.e., being courageous and open about our faith – is critical not only for our witness to others but also our joy in loving and knowing God.

Shame is one of the words you have to be careful how you use.

And no, I’m not embarrassed if people think I’m a little (or a lot) weird for viewing Christian faith as the ultimate, bedrock, settled science and philosophical true north.  Yes, I actually believe that stuff about Jesus and the resurrection.  You want to know why?  Not so much because of forgiveness, salvation, heaven, eternity – all nice features with many aspects beyond my earthly comprehension – but because in Jesus I perceive and attach to the enormity of all God is and does, and I can use it right now.

Here’s a list of daily, always-there things that give me confidence in Jesus Christ.

Truth – Jesus says “I am the way and the truth and the life,” but anyone could write those words, and there is no shortage today in the broken marketplace of ideas of narratives that claim secular, temporal, convenient truths with no eternal merit.  The witness of Jesus’s death and resurrection is this: objective truth exists in the person of God.  Christians, in this life, can depend on the existence of a permanent, eternal truth.

Reality – With bedrock truth comes bedrock reality.  We confuse ourselves with the philosophy and science of what we can see and not see, what we can explain and not explain, and reduce “spirit” to spooky myth.  It is with and through the Holy Spirit – sent by Jesus – that we see the deepest, clearest reality God permits.  It’s not ghosts.

Purpose – Jesus shows us, by His example, our ultimate human purpose in this life: to glorify God.  That’s it.  Anyone can do it, but only through the sin-covering and righteousness of Christ.  A Christian wakes up every day understanding that by their belief, God is glorified.  In our actions resides not salvation, but the joy of that purpose.

Inspiration – God is infinitely creative and gives inspiration to His Creation freely.  I sit here and write, inspired by His Spirit.  Lots and lots of creative stuff happens everywhere with everybody – with credit often usurped by humans thinking they must be quite something to do this or that.  Satan wants us to deny God’s creativity and take credit ourselves.  Jesus is the creative force of God (“authority over all things”).  Use it, be inspired, have a little humility. God’s depth and breadth are magnificent to behold.

Relationship – God Himself is a loving, mysterious relationship of the Father, Son, and Spirit: not three Gods, but one caring, interconnected love.  The Trinity defies scientific explanation but is the model for every great relationship we as humans – God’s “very good” Creation – can form.  Self-sacrifice, non-jealousy, putting others first, obedience, and awareness of the needs of others are typical of great marriage, family, and civic relationships that make this life so rich when we are able to form them.  Satan hates that because his aim is to break our God-glorifying relationship with Jesus. With faith in Jesus, we find the strange and ethereal joy of knowing relationship with God.

Peace – Yes, I’ve noticed the world is not perfect, people aren’t perfect, and I am not perfect.  Does any of that upset me?  Yes.  And I’m not sure which I hate worse – the fallen world or my personal fallenness that on occasion hinders the full-tilt joy of my relationship with Jesus.  But I have learned to always, always, endeavor to direct my angst and fears upon the presence of Jesus.  “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”  Peace is always possible when I’m thinking about Jesus.

Power – There is power in the name of Jesus, really.  Try it sometime.  Mean it.

Freedom – Have you noticed that there can be no true freedom without love?  My love wants you to be free, God’s love wants us to be free, Jesus’s sacrifice “sets us free,” and divine love is the ultimate arbiter of freedom because it defines and requires care for God, care for God’s Creation, and care for each other.  We raise our children for a season with the intent to set them free, filled with love, hope, and – I hope – faith.  We have to work together – you and me, both of us, all of us, all sides – in order to have that freedom-buoyed-by-love in this life.  Satan works harder against nothing else.

Authority – Who’s in charge around here, anyway?  False gods and fearful self-centeredness create no shortage of weak “authority” in our daily lives.  As do truth and reality, God’s authority resides in Jesus.  That is so helpful.  Trust yourself?  Sure … as long as your trust is first centered in abiding faith in Jesus.  Trust Him.  You’ll be fine.

Identity – “Who am I?”  Philosophers great and dim have been wrestling with that one for all of humanity.  “I” want to have an identity.  In Jesus, we have one, and importantly it is an identity that glorifies God.  I’m less worried about my identity in the world’s view because my view focuses – with occasional bumps – on God’s Kingdom.

Suffering – I’m not happy about suffering but its virtue is its opportunity to expose not just the world’s fallenness but the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  People are broken; Christianity and other religions are mocked and attacked.  Wars, disease, treachery abound on all sides.  I see them and it makes me ask: How can I glorify God even in this cesspool?  It is helpful to know suffering is something Jesus understands.

Thankfulness – Even if you’re not sure who to thank, thankfulness is the front door of joy.  Before God, it just might be the front door to His Kingdom.  Learn to thank Jesus and to look for an opportunity to glorify God in all situations.  Let God shine into the world through you in your strength, courage, grace, generosity, responsibility, obedience, trustworthiness … and love.  Be obligated, eager, and not ashamed.

Everyone else who believes – and surprisingly, many who don’t – will notice.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) notes: Jesus exists in the here and now; be sure to take advantage of Him – you get joy, God gets glory, and Satan gets a headache. Christianity is so much bigger than forgiveness of sin; we should play the big game.